Seneca Gunaratne the athletic star from Kandy

On Sep 16, 2021

Sixteen year old, Seneca Gunaratne, a Grade Thirteen student of Colombo International School, Kandy who was studying at La Petite Fluer School at Ratmalana, was admitted to the Colombo International School, Kandy in 2012 to the Grade four class and studied upto to the Advanced Level in the Mathematics stream. As a fine Athlete, Seneca started her athletic career under the training of Susantha Fernando and Palitha Swarna at Walala A.Ratnayake Central School Grounds in 2012 and continued her Athletic training at Digana Provincial Stadium with the National Athletic team in 2021.

Her present coach is Sanjeewa Weerakkody, Assistant.director of Physical Training and at School she started her athletic career as a member of the Blue House of the School and won the 75 metre. and 100 metre. Races and she went on to win the 75 metre. and 100 metre races with a time of 11.8 secds. and 15.6 secnds. respectively at the Zonal Meet in the Under 11 age category. In 2016 she won the Under 12, 80 metres. race with a time of 12.15 secds.and the 100 metres. race with a time of 14.9 secds at the Kandy District Meet organized by the Department. of Education.

Seneca Gunaratne in action at a Meet.

At the Junior John Tarbet Athletic championship in 2015 she won a Merit Award for the 100 metre. race and in 2016 too she won Merit awards for 80 metres. and 100 metres races. In the year 2017 she came first at the under 13, 100 metres. race with a time of 14.4 secds and 200 metres. race with a time of 29.6 secds at the same meet and she continued her winning spree at the John Tarbet Junior Athletic championship in the 200 metres. race with a new meet record of 25.7 secds breaking the nine year old record of Rumeshika Ratnayake. She won the Under 16, 400 metres race clocking 59 secds. and selected as the Best female Athlete and the Best Female Runner of the 400 metres race in 2019.

At the Inter International Schools meet in 2020 she won both 100 metres and 200 metres. races with the time of 12.6 secds. and 26.0 secds and she won all three events by winning the 400 metres. race at the same meet.

She was awarded the Gold Medal for 100 metres. 200 metres. and 400 metres. races at the Inter International Schools meet and she became the age group champion of the year in 2020. Seneca has participated in 100 metres. and 200 metres. races at the Under 20 World Junior Trials and she was selected to the Crysbro Next Olympic Hope by the National Olympic Committee of Sri lanka.

She was the Head Girl of the School and has participated in other sports such as Swimming and Basketball,. Her ambition is to improve Athletics and to represent Sri Lanka in future.